Bigger Budgets Don’t Always Lead To Academic Success

Conventional wisdom suggests that spending more on education leads to greater academic success, but the numbers tell a different story. Data from the Connecticut State Department of Education show that increased per pupil expenditure does not necessarily lead to higher graduation rates.  In fact, there appears to be no correlation between the two factors in an examination of four Connecticut districts. “I don’t think money has anything to do with education,” Wolcott Superintendent of Schools Joseph Macary said. “Too many times, people throw money at the problem and it doesn’t solve anything.”

Two districts that fall at the high end of spending and two that spent thousands less were examined, and mixed results were found.